BAYLOR (5-1) vs. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE (0-7)
Dec. 3, 2007 • Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas) • 7:00 p.m. CST

RADIO: Baylor-ISP Sports Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco / Sirius Satellite ch. 161)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: none
INTERNET VIDEO: live video stream at BaylorBears.com
LIVE STATS:

THE GAME
Baylor hosts Mississippi Valley State Monday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. CST at the Ferrell Center. The Bears are 5-1 and had their five-game winning streak snapped Friday with a 67-64 loss at the hands of No. 6 Washington State. The Delta Devils are winless at 0-7, most recently dropping a 69-62 decision to Montana in Spokane, Wash. Baylor is 26-0 all-time against teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
• Baylor is 26-0 all-time vs. teams from the SWAC.
• Bears are 67-22 over last 8 seasons in regular-season, non-league play.
• Baylor is 19-6 in it last 25 games in Waco (dating to 2005-06).
• Aaron Bruce ranks 11th on BU's all-time scoring list (1,126 career points).
• Through 6 games BU is out-shooting its opponents 46.5-38.4%, including a 41.5-29.1% edge in 3-pointers. • 3 Baylor guards are shooting better than 40% on 3s: LaceDarius Dunn (46.7%, 4th in Big 12), Curtis Jerrells (45.5%, 5th) and Aaron Bruce (42.9%, 8th).
• 9 BU players average 16 minutes or more & none average more than 30.
• Aaron Bruce is shooting 87.5% on free throws.
• 61% (192-313) of Tweety Carter's career points have come from 3-pointers (64).

DUNN OUT WITH INJURED KNEE
True freshman G LaceDarius Dunn injured his knee in Friday's loss to Washington State (after scoring a go-ahead 3-pointer with 6:43 to play). Dunn suffered a knee strain and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.

HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew, in his fifth season at Baylor in what many have called the most daunting rebuilding project in college basketball history, owns a four-year mark of 41-70 at the school and a career record of 61-81 (six seasons). Drew's 40 wins rank 10th all-time on Baylor's all-time coaching victories list (in ninth place on the list is Carroll Dawson with 42 career victories). Prior to Baylor, Drew spent 10 seasons at Valparaiso, the last as head coach after nine seasons as an assistant to his father Homer. During his decade at Valpo, the Crusaders earned six NCAA Tournament berths, including five straight from 1996-2000. An outstanding recruiter, Drew is responsible for five national Top-20 recruiting classes over the last eight years (No. 17 in 2006, No. 11 in 2005 and No. 10 in 2004 at Baylor; No. 6 in 2001 and No. 13 in 1999 at Valpo). He was named the 1998-99 National Recruiter of the Year by Court Vision.

THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE DELTA DEVILS
Head Coach: James Green (Mississippi, 1983); 27-40, 3 seasons
Series vs. Baylor: Baylor leads 2-0
Last meeting: BU 105-68, Dec. 30, 1993 in Waco
Streak: Baylor won 2 straight
Series in Waco: Baylor leads 1-0
Drew vs. MVSU: 0-0
Baylor vs. SWAC: 26-0
MVSU NOTES: Mississippi Valley State (0-7) is located in Itta Bena, Miss., and is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference... The Delta Devils are led by senior F Carl Lucas, the team leader in points (14.9 ppg) and rebounds (6.1 rpg)... Lucas is the only MVSU player averaging double-digits in scoring... The Delta Devils' opponents are shooting 54.7 percent from the field... Mississippi Valley State finished first in the SWAC last season and played in the postseason NIT.

BEARS CONTINUE MASSIVE REBUILDING PROCESS
The 2007-08 season is head coach Scott Drew's fifth at Baylor as he continues the unprecedented overhaul he began in 2003. After taking over a program decimated by tragedy, player departures, depleted rosters and NCAA restrictions, Drew has recruited a solid foundation of high school players that have earned valuable playing experience and showed steady progress. This year's squad is 5-1 and last season's youthful Bears posted 15 wins (the highest win total at Baylor in six seasons), including the program's first Big 12 Championship victory since 2001.

BAYLOR'S BACKCOURT: "IN GUARDS WE TRUST"
Baylor's strength in 2007-08 once again lies in its talented backcourt. The Bears utilize a rotation of five guards that each average 22-plus minutes per game. The quintet is made up of four returnees; senior Aaron Bruce (11.0 ppg, 23.3 mpg), juniors Curtis Jerrells (13.5 ppg, 29.7 mpg) and Henry Dugat (8.5 ppg, 22.7 mpg) and sophomore Tweety Carter (7.3 ppg, 22.2 mpg); and heralded true freshman LaceDarius Dunn (12.2 ppg, 22.2 mpg). The fivesome combines for an average 52.5 points and 17.2 rebounds per game and shoot 41.4 percent on 3-pointers.

ESTABLISHING A HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The Bears are quietly establishing a winning tradition at home in the Ferrell Center. Baylor is 19-6 in its last 25 games in Waco (dating to 2005-06). The Bears are 2-1 at home this season.

DRAMATIC DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
After six games played, one early indicator of Baylor's success this season over years past appears to be marked defensive improvements. A statistical look at opponent's shooting percentages and scoring figures indicate that the Bears have dramatically improved their defense. Baylor is holding opponents to a 38.4 shooting percentage from the field, a 29.1 shooting percentage from the 3-point arc [third in Big 12] and to 63.0 points per game. Both shooting percentages are lower than the school records (field goal percentage researchable through 1958-59) and the points allowed is the lowest since 1985-86 (61.2).

BAYLOR vs. NON-CONFERENCE FOES
Baylor is 5-1 in regular-season, non-league games and boasts a 67-22 record over the last eight seasons in non-conference play.

JERRELLS POWERS BEARS WITH HOT HAND
Curtis Jerrells is leading the Bears in scoring (13.5 ppg, 15th in Big 12), assists (3.5 apg, 10th in Big 12) and minutes (29.7 mpg) for the third straight season. The junior guard has started all 54 career games since arriving at Baylor, was named Big 12 Player of the Week Nov. 19 and took home tournament MVP honors after leading Baylor to the championship of the 2007 Paradise Jam. Jerrells boasts a 17-game 3-point field goal streak (dating back to last season). Jerrells is a preseason Cousy Award candidate and projected a preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league coaches, Athlon and Lindy's.

VETERAN LEADER BRUCE CLIMBING BAYLOR SCORING LIST
Senior Aaron Bruce is averaging 11.0 points through six games and continues his climb up the school's career scoring list. Bruce, Baylor's veteran-most player with 80 career games played, currently stands 11th all-time with 1,126 career points. He is currently shooting 87.5 percent (14-16) from the line. The guard was selected a preseason All-Rolls Royce (All-American) fourth team selection by ESPN.com's Dick Vitale and was named the Big 12's "Best Leader" by the Sporting News preseason publication prior to his final season in Waco. Bruce's 40.1 career 3-point percentage ranks third in school history and his 82.1 career free throw percentage ranks fifth all-time.

MR. ROGERS TRYING TO BUILD ON BREAKOUT SOPHOMORE SEASON
Junior forward Kevin Rogers is averaging 9.0 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds through six games this season. He recorded a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double in the season-opening victory over Jackson State. He leads the team with five blocks. During his breakout sophomore season in 2006-07, Rogers doubled his scoring average (6.1 to 12.8 ppg) and recorded five double-doubles.

HERALDED FRESHMAN DUNN MAKING IMMEDIATE IMPACT
True freshman G LaceDarius Dunn of Monroe, La., is second on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and third in rebounds (4.8 rpg) six games into his collegiate career. Dunn is the highest-rated Baylor signee in recent memory (rated the nation's No. 24 recruit by Scout.com). He was named the "Best Perimeter Scorer" among incoming Big 12 newcomers by Rivals.com. He was a three-time all-state player and two-time class MVP in Louisiana who led Excelsior Christian School to a 118-9 record and one state championship over his final three prep seasons. Dunn was rated the nation's No. 6 shooting guard prospect by Scout.com and the nation's No. 8 wing guard by Hoopmasters.com.

PARADISE JAM CHAMPS
Baylor earned the 2007 Paradise Jam championship with an impressive three-game run Nov. 16-19 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Bears defeated Wichita State (64-55), Notre Dame (68-64) and Winthrop (62-54) to earn the title at the eighth annual tournament. Baylor overcame second-half deficits in both the semis (down 10 to N.D) and the final (down six to Winthrop) to earn the title. Curtis Jerrells was named the tournament MVP after leading the Bears with 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and Aaron Bruce also earned a spot on the all-tournament team. The title marked Baylor's first in-season tournament championship (excluding the Baylor-hosted Dr Pepper Invitational) since winning the 1971 Holiday Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. (last eight-team tournament title was the 1968 East Carolina Classic in Greenville, N.C.).

`THE MAYOR' REHABBING ANKLE
Mamadou Diene, a seven-foot junior from Senegal, underwent a procedure Oct. 25, to repair a chronic stress fracture in his ankle and was projected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks. Diene has started all 43 games played in his two-year career and has recorded 22 multi-block games. He averaged 4.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 26 games last season as a sophomore (missed a total of five games due to injury). Diene is the Big 12's active leader in career blocks with 79. Diene led the Big 12 in blocks as a freshman, averaging 2.21 in 2005-06, and his 1.88 career figure is second all-time at Baylor behind only current Phoenix Suns Brian Skinner's 3.36 average (1994-98). Diene is referred to as "The Mayor" due to his huge popularity across campus.

BAYLOR'S SUMMER TOUR TO CANCUN
Baylor spent Labor Day weekend 2007 on a basketball tour to Cancun, Mexico. The four-day trip included two exhibition games as well as sun and fun for the Bears. Baylor beat Belize Tuff E Nuff 115-47 Sept. 1, before defeating the hometown Mexican professional team Quintana Roo 91-57 Sept. 2. Both games were played in Cancun's sweltering Kuchil-Baxal Gymnasium. The Bears were led in scoring both games by junior Henry Dugat, who totaled 25 and 20 points over the weekend. Aside from the games, the players and travel party enjoyed swimming, jet skiing, fishing and shopping on the Yucatan Peninsula.

LAST TIME OUT: No. 6 WASHINGTON STATE 67 - BAYLOR 64
Baylor's scrappy effort to secure a signature victory under head coach Scott Drew fell just short as No. 6 Washington State came from behind to edge the Bears 67-64 in front of a raucous Ferrell Center crowd and a national television audience on ESPNU. The game was part of the inaugural Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. Baylor led 28-26 at the half and pushed the lead to 14 early in the second half, but the experienced Cougars clawed their way back. WSU senior guard Derrick Low hit consecutive 3-pointers in a 46-second span to push the Cougars in front 63-60 with 2:20 to go. Baylor's Henry Dugat hit a jumper to cut the lead to 63-62, but WSU's Aron Baynes responded with a jumper to push the lead to 65-62 at the 1:12 mark. Dugat hit two free throws with 40 seconds remaining to pull Baylor within one, but after forcing a missed shot by Kyle Weaver, the Bears allowed Cowgill a tip-in with 11 seconds that gave the Cougars a 67-64 lead. Dugat missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds. Aaron Bruce paced the Bears with 13 points. Curtis Jerrells and LaceDarius Dunn had 11 points, but Jerrells (cramps) and Dunn (left knee) both left the game in the last minutes with injuries. A crowd of 10,193 people filled the Ferrell Center and watched Washington State jump out to a 7-0 lead over the first 3 minutes. But the Bears scored seven in a row of their own, with Jerrells penetrating the lane for a basket before freshman Dunn came off the bench to hit a 3-pionter then a tying basket. Midway through the first half, Baylor finally went ahead when Dugat drove to the basket, got fouled and made the free throw for a 16-14 lead.

FERRELL CENTER'S 20th YEAR
The Bears are in their 20th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center this year. Baylor is 2-1 at home in 2007-08 and owns a 169-119 all-time record in the arena, which opened in November 1988. The Ferrell Center is a golden-domed structure that seats 10,284 for basketball games.

MOST EXPERIENCED BEAR SQUAD IN YEARS
For the first time in years, Baylor took the court in 2007-08 with a predominantly upperclassman, experienced team. After several seasons of young, inexperienced teams, the Bears returned nine lettermen, including seven lettermen with multiple letters. The roster includes two seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. Veteran Aaron Bruce is the just the fourth four-year senior to play at BU in the last eight seasons. Baylor's '07-08 returnees entered the season with a combined 246 career starts under their collective belts, the highest such number at the school in over a decade.

BEARS RETURN HIGH PRODUCTION NUMBERS
Baylor in 2007-08 returned all five starters, nine of 12 roster players and nearly all of its statistical production. The Bears return 90.6 percent of last season's points, 86.9 percent of rebounds and 94.5 percent of assists.

EARLY 2009 SIGNEES
Baylor signed two players in the early signing period, Anthony Jones of Houston (Texas) Yates High School and Russian Artem Valov of Three Rivers Community College. Jones, a senior at Yates, is rated 46th nationally by Rivals.com and is a consensus top-70 recruit. He is rated No. 51 by Hoopmasters.com and No. 62 by Scout.com. Jones averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds last season as a junior for a Yates squad that finished 25-8 in 2006-07. A 6-10 forward, Jones is rated No. 8 among the nation's forwards by Rivals.com and ranked as the fourth-best recruit in the state by TexasHoops.com. Valov is a junior college sophomore who was recently named a preseason NJCAA first-team All-American. He is rated the No. 12 junior college recruit nationally by Rivals.com's JucoJunction.com. The 6-10 forward helped lead Three Rivers to a 26-11 record and into the second round of the NJCAA tournament. Valov was named to the 2007 NJCAA All-Tournament team. Valov finished his freshman season with averages of 14.0 points and 7.2 rebounds.

DEPARTED PLAYERS
Baylor lost just three lettermen from its 2006-07 roster: three-year forwards Tim Bush (6.3 ppg) and Patrick Fields (3.0 ppg) and one-year forward Jari Vanttaja (0.9 ppg).

NEXT UP...
Baylor has 11 days between games following Monday's contest vs. Mississippi Valley State, to coincide with the school's schedule for finals. On Dec. 15 the Bears will host Wayland Baptist at 8 p.m. CST at the Ferrell Center.